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Templar Order
} |name = Templar Order |image = Templar Order symbol.svg |px = 200px |type = Religious/Military |headquarters = The White Spire |leaders = Knight-Vigilant |races = Any |ranks = Knight-Vigilant Knight-Divine Knight-Commander Knight-Captain Knight-Lieutenant Knight-Corporal Templar |location = Throughout Thedas |appearances = Dragon Age: Dawn of the Seeker Dragon Age: Origins (comic) Dragon Age: Origins Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening Dragon Age II Dragon Age: Redemption Dragon Age: Asunder Heroes of Dragon Age Dragon Age: The Last Court Dragon Age: Inquisition }} The Templar Order is a military order of the Chantry that hunts apostates and maleficar and watches over the mages from the Circle of Magi. While templars are officially deemed a force of defenders by the Chantry, established to protect the communities of the faithful from magical threats, they are in fact an army unto themselves; well-equipped, highly disciplined and devoted to their duties. The history of the Order Background Most people don't remember the Templar Order as it once was. In the days when the Chantry was still young, templars were known as the Inquisition and combed the land in search of all dangers to humanity—whether they came in the form of blood mages, abominations, cultists or heretics. It was a dark and terrifying time in the history of Thedas, and one that only ended when the Chantry convinced the Inquisition to unite under the banner of their common faith. This agreement, the Nevarran Accord, was struck in 1:20 Divine.Gaider, D. Dragon Age: Asunder. Epilogue. The Inquisition was then divided in two groups: the Seekers of Truth and the Templar Order, with the purpose of the Order becoming that of guardian and warden rather than hunter. The Mage-Templar War Should the Inquisitor go to meet with the Templars, it is revealed that an Envy demon has taken Lucius' place and was feeding the majority of the Order red lyrium to help further fill the ranks of the Red Templars; a splinter faction of Templars addicted to Red lyrium. After the Envy demon's death, the Inquisition allies with the surviving Templars at Therinfal. They aid in closing the Breach. After Envy demon's death, the Inquisition disbands the Templar Order and conscripts its former members into the Inquisition. They help in closing the Breach. The Templars at Therinfal Redoubt are fully corrupted and turned into Red Templars and serve as the Elder One's main army in his conflict with the reformed Inquisition. The Templars at Hasmal request the Inquisition's aid in relocating the loyalist mages at their circle to the Inquisition for fear of the local populace attacking them and later ally with the Inquisition in the conflict with Corypheus. The Templar Order is re-established under Divine Victoria. When the new Divine dissolves the Circle, the Templars re-establish their order with a new mandate to serve the people of Thedas independently. If the Inquisition is disbanded, Cullen will create a sanctuary for those who wish to cease using lyrium, and a hospice for those whose minds are too far gone with addiction. If the Inquisition remains as a peacekeeping force, Cullen promotes the Chantry's treatment of templars wishing to cease lyrium use as well as those whose minds are too far gone with addiction. }} Templar recruitment Templars are considered by the common folk to be the saviors and holy warriors of Thedas, protecting the world from the dangers of magic unchecked. As the Chantry’s military arm, they are recruited primarily for their martial skill and religious dedication to the Maker. Given the difficult choices templars must make in the course of their duty, they must be unswervingly loyal to the Order and maintain an emotional distance from the plight of their charges. It is said that a templar’s obedience is more important to the Chantry than his or her moral center. It is this sense of ruthless piety that most frightens mages when they get the templars' attention: when the templars are sent to eliminate a possible blood mage, there is no reasoning with them, and if the templars are prepared, the mage's magic is often useless. Driven by their faith, the templars are one of the most feared and respected forces in Thedas. Templars go through a rigorous process of recruitment and training, sometimes in monastic refuges segregated from everyday society. While the majority of their members are male, some female templars do exist, having chosen to serve the Maker as a defender of the faith rather than a spiritual guide for the community. Templars take vows upon knighthood, but these do not include a vow of chastity. Templars are nevertheless discouraged from marrying or raising children since it is impractical to live apart from ones' dependents. Such unions are occasionally permitted, provided that the templar's spouse has his or her own means of support, for example, owning land or a title.David Gaider. "Templars and Chastity". The Bioware Forum. Retrieved May 2, 2014. A templar marrying another templar or a mage within the same Circle would be considered fraternization within the ranks and would seldom receive permission. Prior to taking their vows templar recruits undergo a vigil.According to Cullen in Dragon Age II. After the vigil, the knight's life is changed. The templar is given a philter- their first draft of lyrium- and its power. The Templar Order dictates that templars are not to seek wealth or acknowledgement. Their lives belong to the Maker and the path they have chosen. Non-human recruits such as elves are not barred from joining the templars, but are not common in their ranks.David Gaider twitterMike Laidlaw Twitter Duties of a templar Templars are sworn to protect the world from the dangers of magic, but they also protect mages from the outside world, a world that fears these magic users for very good reasons. It is the templars' place to watch their charges for signs of weakness or corruption and, should they find it, to act without hesitation for the good of all. One of the Order's most important duties occurs during a mage's Harrowing. During this, a templar watches over the body of the mage, ready to kill them if demonic possession occurs. In addition, templars are responsible for seeking out mages newly come into their power and bringing them into the Circle. Inevitably, the Order must also pursue mages who escape the Circle but typically can track the fugitives using a phylactery of blood from their quarry. In the extreme event that an entire Circle of mages becomes corrupted, templars also have access to the Right of Annulment which authorizes them to "pacify" or kill all of the mages in that Circle. This would be used in the event that total chaos was unleashed by the mages and there is no chance that anyone in the Circle could be saved. The considerable power the Order holds over mages occasionally leads to charges of tyranny and abuse, since the balance between protection and oppression of the mages is precarious. Nevertheless, according to the Chantry, this is the price that must be paid for the security the templars offer."On Templars, Raiders, City Guards and The Coterie". Official BioWare blog. Retrieved July 4, 2012. Abilities Templars are the ideal foils for mages, having been trained specifically to counter and "deny" magic.According to Ser (character). This is done by a unique method of reinforcing the reality and immutability of the world. When a mage--or a demon--seeks to work magic, they tap into the Fade in order to reshape reality. A templar's ability "declares the world real" and closes off a mage's access to the Fade. Magical effects dissipate and the mage is unable to reshape a suddenly stubborn world. From a mage's perspective it appears to be less spell interruption and more a templar reinforcing a reality in which that spell cannot be cast in the first place. The Seekers of Truth share these powers, and some believe their abilities to be gifts from the Maker.According to banter between Cassandra Pentaghast and Solas. Templar abilities to dispel magic and inhibit spellcasting, as well as develop a considerable immunity to magic, come primarily through ingesting lyrium. Cole says that the bodies of the templars become incomplete and try to connect to something older and bigger than they are. They reach for that "other thing" and magic has no room to come in.The first conversation with Cole after his recruitment. The lyrium is prepared by philters- boxes containing tools that are used by templars to prepare the daily draught of lyrium which consequently allows the denial of magic.Conversation with Ser (character) If Lyrium ingestion is stopped, Templars will eventually lose their abilities.Thedas UK (January 14, 2012). "David Gaider Interview" Retrieved July 4, 2012. Though their abilities are mostly used as a foil for mages and fade creatures, some of their talents can have practical uses for the mundane. Holy Smite for example, is an attack that causes magical Spirit damage. Abilities such as Silence and Lasting Cleanse can prevent even normal opponents from using their talents for a short time. When a templar taps into their power, their sword visibly courses with a white power that disrupts mana.Dragon Age: Asunder, pg. 251. This power can also be channeled through their skin and used, for example, to activate plates housed in special dwarf-created doors within the Circle of Magi such as the entrance to the phylactery storeroom, which require the presence of both a templar and a mage working together to open them.Dragon Age: Asunder, pg. 76. Even without their abilities, templars are among the best warriors in Thedas. Aside from combat training, they are also taught the Chant of Light, history, and how to improve their mental focus.Conversation with Cullen in Dragon Age: Inquisition Lyrium addiction All templars are addicted to lyrium, which is officially used to help develop their anti-mage skills and unofficially used as a control mechanism by the Chantry. A lack of lyrium causes the templar to start to feel withdrawal symptoms within a week and to lose touch with reality and suffer from delusions within 1-2 months. The effects of lyrium addiction for templars include paranoia, obsession, and dementia. Symptoms of lyrium hunger pangs include weakness, forgetfulness, an unquenchable thirst, headaches, and cold hands.Codex entry: Confessions of a Lyrium Addict Over time, templars grow disoriented, incapable of distinguishing memory from present, or dream from waking. They frequently become paranoid as their worst memories and nightmares haunt their waking hours. Templars also lose their memories to prolonged imbibing of lyrium. It starts small at first- a misplaced item or words to a song- but more fades away over time. According to Dragon Age: Inquisition, those cut off from lyrium and who could not endure the suffering either go mad or die. Templars start receiving lyrium once they've taken their vows and are conditioned to be dependent on this mineral. Ingestion also seems to change how the recipient smells after a while, described as something akin to burnt ozone.When speaking with a dwarven Inquisitor seeking to learn the specialzation. Though unusual, dwarven initiates are not immune from the risks, either. Exposure to lyrium does not preclude the dangers of ingestion. This also indicates that dwarves are recruited into the order, or at least the training.According to Ser (character) when speaking to a dwarven Inquisitor seeking to learn the specialization. It is confirmed that lyrium does have effective benefits for templars, as it builds a resistance to magic in them over time, and is needed for their abilities, such as being able to shut off a mage's abilities entirely. It also puts templars in a state of boldness and empowerment while under the influence.Short Story: Paper & Steel Some people think that templars are conditioned to be dependent on this mineral for its attributes and that the Chantry knows of its addictiveness. Both Alistair and Evangeline claim that "the Chantry controls the supply of lyrium, and thus they control the templars."Asunder, pg. 267. Despite the prevailing understanding, Alistair claims that templars don't need to take lyrium to learn templar talents, only that it makes templar talents more effective. Alistair may have been alluding to the templar talents of the Seekers of Truth with that comment since even Alistair later would need to take lyrium again in order to use his templar abilities''Dragon Age: Those Who Speak. If Lyrium ingestion is stopped, templars will eventually lose their abilities,Thedas UK (January 14, 2012). "David Gaider Interview" Retrieved July 4, 2012. but since the first infusion of lyrium used in the initial ritual is so concentratedCodex entry: Way of the Templar, it is assumed that trained templars are able to utilize their powers for at least a year with diminishing effectiveness over time. Alistair for example, could utilize templar talents during the Fifth Blight which lasted about a year; allegedly without the ritual imbibing of lyrium. The hunger pangs start immediately however, and nightmares or recurring bad memories could manifest in a couple of months. This either means Alistair is able to resist the addiction or his Blight connection drowned out the lyrium song. Ritual imbibing of the lyrium is meant to stave off the hunger pangs yet it is a double edge sword since the adverse effects, both in the addiction's withdrawal symptoms and satiating it with the continuous habit, gets worse overtime with prolong imbibing. The most successful templars learn to ration their lyrium dosages to delay it from consuming their minds and endure the pain of lyrium withdrawal. Those that can't quit lyrium eventually become lyrium addled simpletons. When Templars retire honorably, they are provided a small stipend of lyrium to stave off the hunger for the substance, but the craving hits some templars much harder than others. Furthermore, those kicked out of the order have no such provision made for them.Dragon Age: The World of Thedas Volume 2, pg. 109. Hierarchy The Order is composed of numerous branches, each of them centered around a specific community or region they are assigned to defend and monitor. Templars may be assigned to the Circles of Magi but also to individual chantries. Each main branch of the organization is led by a Knight-Commander. In Thedas there are at least fifteen Knight-Commanders, who in turn answer to the head of the local chantry, often a Grand Cleric, depending on the region in question. The size and strength of each branch also differs, depending on the community they serve or their specific mandate. For example, the templars present in Lothering are few in number, and may in fact be a smaller unit within a larger chapter. Meanwhile, the templars assigned to watch over the Circles of Magi in Kinloch Hold and Kirkwall are much more powerful, and in the case of Kirkwall, perhaps more powerful even than the civilian government in the city. The Order itself is ruled from the White Spire in Val Royeaux by a Knight-Vigilant. However, there are other sources that suggest that the Order is actually led by a series of Knights Divine, a division within the Order who serve directly underneath the Divine herself and act as her enforcers and bodyguards.Armor of the Knights-Divine In addition to making the rules, these Knights oversee day-to-day operations. Above the Templar Order, but separate, are the Seekers of Truth who serve as “watchers of the watchmen,” providing accountability for the templars. Heraldry The Templar heraldry is a stylized representation of a flaming sword. The flames represent purification, just as Andraste was purified by flame upon her martyrdom at the height of the first Exalted March."Dragon Age The Templars Coaster". Epic Weapons. Retrieved August 20, 2011. The sword is an emblem of mercy in Chantry symbolism because Hessarian ran Andraste through with his sword to save her from a slow and painful death.Dragon Age II: The Complete Official Guide, p. 256 The sword was also a part of Constellation: Visus; it is said that the star that marks the point of its blade only appeared in the night sky after Andraste's death. The early Inquisition took Visus as their symbol, and upon their partition the Templar Order took the sword while the Seekers of Truth retained the eye. The exact design varies. There are at least six variations. * The sword is pointing up with two small flames on either side. * Pointing down with four larger flames. * Pointing down with three flames on either side. * With the sword pointing down with four flames on either side. The flames end about two thirds of the way down. * Same as above but the flames are larger closer to the hilt. * With four flames on either side running the length of the sword. Notable templars * Delrin Barris, may be promoted to Knight-Commander by the Inquisitor (c. 9:41) * Bryant, templar commanding the Lothering unit of Templars (fl. 9:30) * Brynn, Knight-Captain & commanding Templar of Aeonar * Carroll, Templar at Kinloch Hold (fl. 9:30-9:41) * Carver Hawke (if not present during The Deep Roads Expedition) * Cullen Rutherford, Templar at Kinloch Hold (to 9:31), Knight Captain in Kirkwall (9:31-9:37), Knight Commander in Kirkwall (9:37-9:40) * Emeric, templar in Kirkwall (fl. 9:31-9:34) * Evangeline de Brassard, Knight-Captain at the White Spire (fl. 9:40) * Greagoir, Knight-Commander at Kinloch Hold (fl. 9:07-9:32) * Hadley, Knight-Captain at Kinloch Hold (fl. 9:32) * Haron, a companion of Inquisitor Ameridan * Harrith, Knight Commander of the Redcliffe Chapter of Templars (c. 9:30-9:31) * Irminric, Templar in the Denerim chapter of Templars (fl. 9:31) * Laros, currently the only known dwarven templar (c. 9:42)Dragon Age: Last Flight, p. 74 * Martel, Knight-Commander in Orlais (c. 9:22) * Meredith Stannard, Knight-Commander at The Gallows (9:21 - 9:37) * Mettin, templar at The Gallows (fl. 9:31 - 9:37) * Nolan Brisson, Knight-Divine and alleged lover of Divine Amara III (Exalted Age) * Otto, nearly-blind templar in the Denerim alienage * Otto Alrik, templar at The Gallows (fl. 9:31 - 9:34) * Rylock, a Ferelden templar (fl. 9:31) * Tavish, Knight Commander of the Denerim Chapter of Templars (c. 9:30-9:31) * Thrask, a templar at The Gallows (fl. 9:31 - 9:37) * Trentwatch, Knight-Vigilant and leader of the Templar Order (c. 9:41)Note: Notes and Letters from Therinfal * Varnell, a templar at The Gallows (fl. 9:31 - 9:34) * Wesley Vallen, a Ferelden templar (fl. 9:30) * Ser Mallorick, supervisor of the laundry room at the Circle of Magi in AnsburgCodex entry: The Basket of Lost Socks Gallery Templar Armour DA-DotS.png|Ceremonial Templar Armor in ''Dragon Age: Dawn of the Seeker Templar lothering dao.png|Alternate Templar Regalia in Dragon Age: Origins Templar hunter da2.png|Templar Hunter in Dragon Age II Templar archer da2.png|Templar Archer in Dragon Age II DAI Templar Knight.png|Templar Knight in Dragon Age: Inquisition DAI Alternate Templar Armour.png|Alternate Templar Armor in Dragon Age: Inquisition DAI Templar Archer.png|Templar Archer in Dragon Age: Inquisition Templar Defender DAI.png|Templar Defender in Dragon Age: Inquisition TemplarRecruit.png|Templar Recruit in Heroes of Dragon Age TemplarArcher.png|Templar Archer in Heroes of Dragon Age TemplarAssassin.png|Templar Assassin in Heroes of Dragon Age HoDA Templar Recruit Tiers.png|Tiers of a Templar Recruit in Heroes of Dragon Age Templar Artwork.png| See also *Imperial templars References Category:Templars Category:Groups Category:Specialization lore Category:Chantry Category:Human lore